Container with pouring throat and connecting dispensing opening



March 7, 1950 G. c. REID ErAL 2,499,416

`CONTAINER wm PouRINc mou AND CONNECTING DISPENSING OPENING Filed May 22, 1947 Patented Mar. 7, 1950 CONTAINER WITH POURING THROAT AND CONNECTING DISPENSING OPENING George C. Reid and Samuel S. Jacobs, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignors to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 22, 1947, Serial No. 749,805

claims. l

The present invention relates to containers for the packaging and delivery of products, especially liquids, such as milk, fruit'juices and the like and has particular reference to a substantially smooth top sanitary fibre container designed to provide an unobstructed and controlled flow of liquids through a dispensing opening formed therein.

'I'he invention constitutes an improvement upon the container disclosed in United States Patent 2,085,979, issued July 6, 1937, to John M. Hothersail, and is especially an improvement on the dispensing end of the container. Reference is here made to our copending United States application Serial Number 749,805, filed May 22, 1947, on Container with dat top.

An object of the invention is the provision of a substantially flat top sanitary fibre container for milk and other liquids wherein provision is made for the unobstructed and directed flow of liquids from the container through a dispensing opening formed in its top closure so that the container may be completely drained and the dispensed liquid given a controlled shape and direction. n

Another object is the provision of such a container wherein the container walls adjacent the dispensing opening are shaped to form a smooth, shoulderless path of travel for liquids being dispensed from the container through the opening, so that pockets or recesses which would otherwise trap and retain small quantities of the liquid adjacent the opening are eliminated, thereby insuring full drainage of the contents from the container.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which,

taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the upper portion of a sealed container embodying the instant invention, with parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 and showing certain of the parts of the container in opened position; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged sectional views taken substantially along vertical planes indicated by the lines 3 3, 4-4-in Fig. 1, with parts broken away.

As a preferred embodiment of the instant invention the drawings illustrate a rectangular container comprising a fibre tubular body I I (Figs. 1 and 2) closed at its upper end preferably with a sanitary, flat, fibre composite end or top closure a vertical lap side seam Il. The overlapped seam edges preferably are secured with a suitable adhesive so that a liquid-tight side seam results. y

The body side walls I3 adjacent their upper ends are formed with an inwardly extending oblique wall section I1 (Figs. 1, 2 and 4) which merges into a short vertical wall section I8 around the major portion of the top of the body. An extension of this short wall section I8 preferably extends outwardly in a horizontal flat shoulder 2l and a continuing and surrounding offset ledge 22 disposed in a horizontal plane slightly below the plane of the shoulder 2| yby about the thickness of the body material. The ledge terminates in a flange 23 which extends upwardly and inwardly in spaced relation thereto yand thus forms a channel 24 for the top closure I2.

One corner of the body'adjacent'its top edge is formed differently than the' major v"portion just described and is pressed inwardly in a tapered, v l

semi-circular, convex wall section 26. Adjacent this curved wall section 26, portions of the two adjacent side walls I3 are pressed or bulged inwardly and form two concave wall sections 21 which connect with the convex wall section 26. Together, these convex and concave wall sections produce an undulated portion of the body which sets off and constitutes a smooth inwardly and upwardly tapered and curved pouring throat for the container. The shoulder 2|, ledge 22, and flange 23 on this portion of the body follow the undulated contour of the body as best shown in Fig. 2.

The composite top end closure I2 preferably includes aI dispensing member 3I, a closure and reclosure element 32, and a top member 33 secured together as a unitary structure which is readily attached to the body by an interfolding of marginal edge portions of the closure with the ledge 22 and flange 23 of the body. The top member 33 in general is rectangular in shape to fit the end of the body and is formed with a diagonal crease or score line 35 which' extends between two opposite corners of the top and which divides the top member into a stationary or fixed section 36 and a movable or hingeable section or `overcap 3l. The outer contourof the hingeable section is shaped or undulated to correspond to the convexe-concave outline of the ledge 22 formed on the pouring throat of the body.

The dispensing member 3|, in general, is of triangular configuration and is disposed adjacent and under the hingeable section 31 of the top member 33 with itsY inner marginal edge portion underlapping andadhesivelysecured to the stationary section 36 of the top member, in a liquidtight joint. The outer edge of the dispensing member is undulated to correspond to the convexo-concave outline of the ledge 22 formed on vthe pouring throat of the body and to correspond to the hingeable section or overcap 31 of the top member. In substantially concentric relation to the convex portion of its outer edge, the dispensing member is formed with a filling and dispensing opening 4I.

The closure or reclosure element 32 is disposed between the dispensing member 3| and the hingeable section 31 of the top member 33 and is hingedly secured in place in the liquid-tight joint between the dispensing member and the top member.

The reclosure element is formed with a countersunl` friction plug`42 for'sealing the dispensing opening when the element is in closed position. The reclosure element 32 may be a separate member as described or may be integral with the dispensing member 3|, in which latter case it is formed from the same sheet of raw material and folded back upon itself.

When the composite top closure I2 is applied to the body v| I, the outer marginal edge portions of the stationary section 36 of the top member 33 and` the undulated edge portions of the permanently attached dispensing member 3|, rest on the horizontal shoulder 2| formed on the upper edge of the body, with the undulated edges of the dispensing member in register with the undulated edges of the pouring throat portion of the body. The outer edges of these parts of the closure |2 `are interfolded with and are permanently and adhesively secured in a liquidtight joint with the offset body ledge 22 and the overlying body ange 23 formed integrally with and surrounding the body shoulder 2|.

With the top closure I2 thus permanently secured to the body, the dispensing opening 4| in the dispensing member 3| is in vertical or axial alignment with the pouring throat of the body, the convex wall section 26 of the body tapering upwardly toward and terminating adjacent the under surface of the dispensing mem' ber close to the outer edge of the dispensing opening and extending substantially half way around the opening as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. The convex tapered wall section 26/ thus provides a smooth, shoulderless throat connecting with the dispensing opening and permitting free unobstructed and directed flow lof the contents of the container through the dispensing opening when the container is tilted into the usual pouring position. With such a construction of pouring throat, ledges or shoulders, pockets or recesses fo'r trapping or collecting small quantities of liquids or other undesirable foreign matter, are eliminated and complete drainage of the container contents and controlled pouring conditions may be obtained.

This feature is of importance not only in the use of the container but also in its manufacture during which the containers are immersed in 4 liquid coating materials. such as wax or the like material, and then drained, to protect the interior surface of the container. With such complete drainage a uniform film of the coating material may be obtained on the container without the formation of undesirable lumps which may become loosened under rough handling of the container. v

When the container is sealed, the friction plug 42 of the reclosure element 32 is inserted in'the dispensing opening 4| and is expanded slightly to form a holding bead 43 (Figs. 3 and 4). The hingeable section 31 of the top member 33 folds down over the reclosure element and the dispensing member and its outer undulated edge is crimped under the ledge 22 of the body I l thus holding the hingeable section in place and protecting both the reclosure element and the dispensing member, and the seam edges used as pouring surfaces, against contamination.

It is thought that the .invention andimanyof its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it willbe apparent that various changes may be made in the foixn,l

said body and having a curved edge closely adjacent and partially surrounding a dispensing" f opening formed in the end closure, said body having a curved wall tapered inwardly adjacent. its connection with the curved edge of said end closure, said curved' body wall partially surround-1 ing said dispensing opening' in said' end closure? and terminating adjacent the edge of the open-fI ing and providing a smoothunobstructed sur-' face for the free flow of liquids from said container through said opening.

2. A container for liquids, comprising in combination a body, an end closure secured to said body and having a curved edge closely adjacent and partially surroundinga dispensingV opening formed in the end closure, and a rounded pour-- ing throat formed by an adjacent wall of said body; said pouring throat partially surrounding,

said dispensing opening in said end closure andterminating adjacent the edge ofthe opening in a join't between the body and the curved edge of the end closure, said pouring throat providing a smooth unobstructed surface for the free o`w of liquids from said container through said opening.

3. A container for liquids; comprising in coni-'f' bination a rectangular' fibrebody having side walls, a rectangular bre end closure secured to said body in an interfolded end seam, said endclosure having av curved edge embodied 'in the seam adjacent one corner and having a dispensing opening in that corner partially-surrounded by said curved edge seam, and av-ftaperedcurved wall section formed in said body at said corner and extending into said curved edge seam closely adjacent said dispensing opening and providing a smooth unobstructed surface for the free flow of liquids from said container through said opening.

4. A container for packaging and delivery ofproducts, including liquid products, comprising in combination, a substantially rectangular fibre body, and a fibre end closure secured to said body in an .end seam and .having a dispensingl 5 opening, said body having four vertical side walls and four right angular corners, the top terminal portions of two of said walls adiacent said opening being tapered inwardly and upwardly into said end seam and forming a curved corner for the seam closely and partially surrounding said dispensing opening thereby providing a substantially semicircular smooth, unobstructed pouring throat substantially concen= tric with said opening. and a friction closure for sealing said opening.

5. A container for the packaging and delivery` of liquid products, comprising in combination, s. substantially rectangular fiber body having' relatively sharp'corners, a substantially rectangular composite ber end closure secured to said body.

in an end seam, said end closure comprising a top member and a dispensing member having a lling and dispensing opening, said end closure having three relatively sharp corners and a fourth curved corner, the upper part of said body adopening.

GEORGE C. REID. SAMUEL S. JACOBS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED' STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,034,522 Shaw Aug. 6, 1912 1,426,439 Zalkind Aug. 22, 1922 :20 2,059,101 Guenther Oct. 27, 1936 2,321,011 Cox June 8. 1943 

